Hear These Words
by I Survived Until Dawn
Summary: As grey clouds unfold, the seven survivors of the taboo Blackwood Incident come to the realisation that no rising sun will beam through the parting. Trudging through one storm to another, will their broken, scarred minds see them through this battle?
1. Prologue

**_Department of Police-_ _Blackwood County, Alberta, Canada  
02.02.2015  
2228-0652  
Blackwood Mountain_**

 ** _Washington Estate_ _Status- Condemned  
Blackwood Sanatorium __Status- Unknown  
Blackwood Mining System __Status- Unknown_**

 ** _Offence(s) – Undetermined_**

 ** _Subject 01- Ashley, 18 Status- Unknown  
Subject 02- Christopher, 19 __Status- Unknown  
Subject 03- Emily, 19_ _Status- Unknown  
Subject 04- Jessica, 18 __Status- Unknown  
Subject 05- Joshua, 20 __Status- Unknown  
Subject 06- Matthew,_ _18 Status- Unknown  
Subject 07- Michael,_ _19 Status- Unknown  
Subject 08- Samantha,_ _19 Status- Unknown  
_**

 ** _Survivor Count- 5 confirmed, unidentified_**

 **Chapter 01- Prologue**

The continual whirring blades of the approaching helicopter only served as a _steady rhythm that_ contributed to the trance-like state that Sam was drifting into. It was almost as if the realization of everything that had transpired this evening had finally hit her, like she was standing underneath an overwhelmingly huge tidal wave, eyes fixed blankly upon it before it quickly crashed down upon her. She was helplessly drowning in a bottomless pool of her own thoughts, not noticing as the man who she would now gladly label as her hero, tugged at her trembling arm. Mike, in her eyes, had risen from being an overly sexual, infuriating, loudmouth jerk to a heroic, fearless leader and saviour. Her head slowly tilted just enough so that her eyes fell upon his face which bore many insights as to the horror they had braved tonight, in the form of bruises, scars and grazes. It saddened her that Mike's clearly terrible condition seemed to have fallen to the lower end of her subconscious list of concerns and priorities; not because she didn't care, it was more a case of her becoming too worryingly accustomed to injuries. No amount of effort could push her to paint the reassuring smile that she so wished she could beam across her face, but deep down she knew that a simple smile would have made no difference to Mike at that moment.

Ashley had dissolved into a shaking, tearful wreck. Her legs were too weak to enable her to stand but that wasn't the reason she had assumed an upright foetal position. Unlike Sam or Mike who did well to mask most of their negative feelings throughout the night, Ashley was unable to do so. Emotional control had never been her strong point which was certainly understandable considering she was still battling a severe case of anxiety and these events had done her no justice. Though she had allowed her emotions to show themselves over the course of the night, she still felt as if she was an enclosed bottle preparing to spew. Her forehead rested lightly against her kneecaps, pressing against the skin that was now accessible due to the careless rips in her tights. Her bleeding arms snaked across her shins, offering her the close contact and physical support she was desperately seeking. Even now, she felt no shame in emotionally unravelling, despite the unnerving presence of hardened characters such as Emily. Tears streamed down Ashley's stained cheeks accompanied by faint sobs which forced an escape through her parted, chapped lips. Chris glanced down at his crumbling love with sorrowful eyes, after everything he had witnessed tonight; this had to be the worst sight of all. As he slowly approached Ashley, his feeble footsteps left contrastingly loud crunches in the snow, barely audible over the noise of the comfortingly close helicopter, yet still alerting the redhead of his presence. Almost in unison, the two both opened their mouths to speak but Chris found his throat dry at the sound of Ashley's broken voice as she softly murmured her frail instruction. "No… Please don't…" He wasn't sure what left him so upset, was it the mere image of Ashley in this traumatized state, or learning that she did not want his assistance or comfort? Whatever it was, it left him with a nauseating sinking feeling in his gut.

Evidently, Emily hadn't dropped her irritable attitude. This was made clear due to her mumbled complaints regarding her ruined clothing as well as her stronger, angrier exclamations about the helicopter which, though had gotten closer to them, still loomed above the blazing lodge. "Ugh, come on, are you kidding me right now? Are they trying to make us freeze to death?!" she voiced her frustration, following her yells with a heavy sigh. Mike responded to her in a much more admirable, calm, respective tone. "Just hold on Em, we're alright. We're all gonna be alright. Nobody's freezing to death, we made it, okay? Chris, Ash, it's over. Everything's over now." He kept a gentle grip on Sam's arm as he eyed each member of the group, ensuring he appeared as calm he could. After he was sure nobody was looking at him, he let out a quiet groan, glaring down at what remained of his amputated fingers. After a whole night of putting up a persona and plastering on a brave face for the sole purpose of reassuring and calming the others, he understandably needed to let everything out. As did Sam, the past few hours showed her at her bravest and kindest, who but Sam would remain so calm, tranquil and comforting during such an intense journey.

The scarred blonde slowly wrapped one arm around Mike, hesitantly resting her head on his shoulder as she watched the rescuing vehicle land just metres before them. She truly felt at peace when she felt Mike embrace her with such a soft touch. Both knew what lied under their façades, and thus knew what each other needed… Support. A night like this does well to bring some together while ripping others apart. Ashley and Emily saw the downfall of their relationship and trust down in the basement. Chris lost a best friend in Josh who had presumably fallen victim to the Wendigo. But above these misfortunes, Sam and Mike formed unbreakable trust and a great, irreplaceable bond, and for that they were so grateful.

"Please all of you remain calm, we have a few important questions to ask before we can escort you back to the station." the well-built police offer authoritatively called out to the five teenagers as he leapt out of the helicopter. He carefully surveyed each and every one of them, mentally noting the sunken look on Ashley's face, the frustrated appearance of Emily, Chris' exhausted body language and the spent expressions of Sam and Mike. "A few questions? What do you mean a few questions, we need to go! We need to! Tell him, Mike! Sam?!" Emily screeched. She received a cold glare from Chris as well as a lighter yet firm stare from Sam. "We need to know if there's anyone else on this mountain... Anybody you can identify, tell us their location, any information at all."  
"Josh… I think he's…" Chris began, nervously stuttering before he found himself interrupted by Mike.  
"Josh is gone, man. I saw it take him. Jess… She's gone too; she fell into the damn mines… Dragged through the woods and thrown down a freakin' elevator shaft… She… I… She's gone…"  
"Oh my God, okay, my boyfriend, Matt. Please find him, please. God, I… I don't know he was… The tower, it fell… We we're hanging and… Uh, the mines, please, please, please… He's in the mines!" Emily words tripped over each other as she frantically spoke.  
"There's somebody else, he saved us… The least we can do is to give him a proper burial. He's in the mines too, on a… He's hanging… Just find him…" Sam revealed with a slight tremor in her voice as she spoke. The officer nodded as he soaked in the information.  
"We also need to know, were you the cause of the explosion? Was it accidental?" This question was met with a heavy silence. All eyes fell to the ground before Mike finally spoke up. "We did it… No accident. We had no choice…"he sighed. The officer glared at the five apprehensively before he finally spoke again."Alright… Well we only have space for three in this helicopter, so two of you are gonna have to wait for the next one." Only seconds after he informed them of this, Emily pushed past.  
"Take me, oh my God, please get me away!" she pleaded. Chris took Ashley's hand; her eyes hadn't left the ground since the lodge had regrettably burst into flames, and quickly turned to Mike and Sam. "You two can go ahead, I think Ashley needs a couple of minutes… Plus, you guy earned it." He feebly gestured his head towards the vehicle and beamed. Sam responded, on behalf of herself and Mike, through a sweet, appreciative facial expression. With that, the two headed to the hospitable helicopter, effortlessly climbing inside before taking their seat. Emily glared at the two, making no effort to disguise her undying anger for Mike as she readjusted and fidgeted within her seat opposite them. She cocked her head, now shifting her eyesight to outside of the window. Feelings of sorrow, guilt and despair began to build inside her as she took one, long last look at the triggering, demolished lodge. It was over, the night was over and she had survived. She sat safely, with all of her limbs and relatively clear head; she was one of the lucky ones.


	2. Resurface

**_Department of Police_** ** _-_** ** _Blackwood County, Alberta, Canada  
02.02.2015  
2228-0652  
Blackwood Mountain_**

 ** _Washington Estate_** ** _Status- Condemned  
_** ** _Blackwood Sanatorium_** ** _Status- Unknown  
Blackwood Mining System _****_Status- Unknown_**

 ** _Offence(s)–  
Arson- offender unidentified_**

 ** _Subject 01- Ashley, 18 Status- Alive  
Subject 02- Christopher, 19 _****_Status- Alive  
Subject 03- Emily, 19 _****_Status- Alive  
Subject 04- Jessica, 18 _****_Status- Unknown  
Subject 05- Joshua, 20 _****_Status- Unknown  
Subject 06- Matthew,_** ** _18 Status- Unknown  
Subject 07- Michael,_** ** _19 Status- Alive  
Subject 08- Samantha,_** ** _19 Status- Alive  
Subject 09- Unknown, Unknown _****_Status- Unknown_**

 ** _Survivor Count- 5_**

 **Chapter 02- Resurface**

As soon as the helicopter had begun to soar off into the unimaginable distance, Ashley spilled. She wasn't ashamed, she was with Chris and he would understand. She made no effort to hide the tears; she let them roam free across her round cheeks. The need to sob overwhelmed her but she could make no noise anymore. "Ash… It's okay, I'm here." Chris was barely keeping on top of his own thoughts and feelings yet the urge to comfort his love was too strong. He pulled her close towards his heaving torso and held her tightly, sending a wave of positivity throughout her as she buried her face in Chris' chest , unknowingly staining his sweater with her tears. After a couple of minutes of pure silence, she shuffled away, pulling the sleeves of her bloody hoodie up slightly, just enough to envelope her wrist to use to wipe her puffy eyes. "Sorry about that…" she snivelled, eyes falling to the bloodstained snow surrounding her boots.  
"Don't apologize." Chris forced a smile, lifting Ash's chin and locking his eyes with hers as they both gathered themselves. The familiar whirring of helicopter blades brought a sense of safety to the pair as both heads rose in unison. "See that? We're fine, Ash, okay?" Chris gently squeezed Ashley's shoulder, smiling as he noticed the glee flow through her face.

"Sam…" Mike attempted to shield a yawn, voice gruff and bearing hints of exhaustion. She twisted her head to face Mike, a growing grin visible across her face. "Yes, Mike?" she sweetly replied.  
"I just wanted to say, you know, back in the lodge..." Mike began, turning his head to avoid eye contact which he seemed to dislike when in serious situations. "Mike, you don't need to-" she interrupted but it had no influence on Mike.  
"No, seriously, thanks. You saved us all: Ash, Chris… Em. You could've died back there… And, well, I'm just glad you're here." Was the hardened hero of the group softening up on her? Sam gave a light giggle as she tilted her head, glaring at him with squinted eyes. "Well, if I knew all I had to do to turn you soft was to save your life, I'd have done a long time ago." She sarcastically remarked, ignoring the judgemental glare that burned into the back of her head from Emily.

The helicopter came to a halt as it was slowly lowered, landing in front of Chris and Ash. The door was swiftly opened and pulled aside revealing a sight bound to boost the worst of their moods. There sat Jessica and Matt; the desolation in the blonde's glistened eyes just as visible from afar as her wounds. "J-Jess… Oh my God, Matt! You're still alive?!" The words merrily glided from Chris' lips as he immediately broke into a swift jog, holding the hand of Ashley and encouraging her forward with him. He aided her in entering the vehicle before hoisting himself up. Ashley shared Chris' joy as she examined Matt's scarred face. "Matt, thank God you made it, I was so worried!" she smiled at him and in return was welcomed with a relieved smile of his own. "Em! Where is she?" he sat up, pushing himself towards Ash eagerly, holding his weight up with his sweaty palms pushed hard into the soft fabric of his seat. "She's fine." Ash shrugged in a cavalier tone. She leant forward and hugged the jock, before sitting next to him. Her smile faded drastically as she looked over at Jess, examining her properly for the first time. She had never seen anything like it; she was beyond broken, beyond traumatized… She was shattered. She was barely recognisable; her voice was trembling and quivering. It was a total shock to see the girl who was undoubtedly the soul and spirit of the group… To see her like this was disturbing. "Jess… My God, you look awful. Are you okay?!" Chris queried with a sense of caution in his voice. Jess barely managed a nod as she glanced between Chris and Ashley respectively; it was nice to reunite with her friends and in a way, comforting to see the worry on their faces.

The first helicopter landed at the police station, jolting Emily who had drifted into a justifiable slumber to a rude yet heartening awakening. Sam, Mike and Emily were out in a hurry, hoping to be met with thankful family members but instead, they were escorted to an assembly of ambulances. Before they knew it, they were each being examined by hasty paramedics, though the three found themselves in a daze, induced by the sudden feelings of security and sanctuary.

Another half an hour was spent outside sat in the back of ambulances as each of their bodies were roamed by unwelcomed, exploring, paramedics' hands. The three were desperate to feel the warmth of the unfamiliar inside, so understandably, irritation boiled while they endured quite the opposite. Mike's eyes followed each graceful snowflake as it unhurriedly floated to the ground. After tonight, he wished to see no snow again. It seemed each individual flake brought back memories that were slowly being supressed. After the check-ups were complete, the trio were ushered inside. They were sat down in a contemporary, warming waiting room. Salmon pink, leather chairs welcomed each of them as they took their seats. The strong scent of a nearby air freshener felt like more than a luxury to them. Their noses had become familiarized with the metallic smell of blood, the unforgettable smell of death and the bland, 'grey' smell of the mines.

The spectacle was abruptly brought to a close as the first of the teens was taken into their respective interview room. Emily stood at the sudden call of her name and was beckoned into the nearest room. A certain silence spread throughout the waiting area. It wasn't awkward, it was understood, but at the same time, unnerving. Neither Sam nor Mike felt the need to speak. The unsettling silence enabled the close, muffled voice of the first interviewee to be barely audible.  
"Now Emily, we just want to ask you a few questions about the events of last night. You don't need to feel intimidated, you're safe here. We ask that you answer these as honestly as you can as that would be most beneficial to everyone. Is that okay?" the interviewer explained with a deep voice. "Yeah…" Emily quietly nodded.  
"Firstly, if I understand correctly, there were a group of 8 of you up on the mountain. Did any of those seem to be of any threat to you?"  
"Um, yeah! Mike! The douchebag pulled a gun on me!" she spat angrily.  
"Could you elaborate?"  
"He held it right up to my face, right here, right in front of my nose and he could've shot me, he almost shot me, the prick! I mean you go out with a guy for however long and you think you know him, but man this one really takes the cake…"  
"On the flip side of that, who were you closest to?"  
"My boyfriend, Matt, he was there. We… We were separated in the mines…"  
"I see, why were you in the mines in the first place?"  
"About Matt, have, uh, have you found him?"  
"No, not yet…" the officer picked up on the avoidance of his question and noted it down.  
"Oh God, he's dead… Isn't he?" she sighed regretfully.  
"Why do you say that?" the man cocked his head as he suspiciously asked, causing Emily to tighten her grip on the underside of the chair with discomfort.  
"Oh no, no, no. It's just, oh my God, I was such a bitch and I, you know, I maybe could've helped him, maybe I could've saved him?!" she felt a knot tighten within her throat and now wished for nothing more than to leave this room. Emily seemed to phase out and the majority of the rest of the interview became a hazy blur, until she picked up on the officer's disbelief.  
"No, no, it is not an animal and it is not a person, but it has a home down there and it collects things like a person would and I found all this stuff… It's horrible!"  
"What did you find?"  
"I found her head, I found Beth's head.  
"Beth Washington?"  
"Beth freaking Washington."  
"Please make a note to investigate further. And Josh?"  
"I didn't see him, but there's no way he could've survived so if you haven't found him yet, that's where he's gotta be."  
"Note to send some down to the mining area? Emily, thank you for your time, you're free to go." And with that, Emily quickly stormed out of the room. As she closed the door behind her, she inhaled deeply. Nothing could have made her feel worse than to have recollected the tragic events of the past night.

Mike was called in next and he wanted to voice his story no more than Emily but his intelligent mind rightfully prevented him from arguing and challenging the system.  
"He was out of his fucking mind. He wanted to hurt us. Yeah, he… and… I thought he was the one who attacked Jess…" He explained, as he hung his head low, much like he intended to for the rest of this interview. "I understand you were close to Jessica? You seem to think she is dead, what makes you say that?"  
"I just wasn't fast enough. I was so close, man. If I'd just been… Just a little faster, I… I could have saved her… I could have saved her. So it's my fault. I'm the reason Jess is dead."  
With a gentle nod of the head, the interviewer asked, "And what about Josh?"  
"Josh helped us, and then… Fuck, man. That thing, okay, the Wendigo… It just came out of the darkness and it just… I don't know. I heard screaming. I got out of there. There was no point in both of us dying."  
"Right… Well, thank you, Michael. You may leave. Could you send in Samantha for us please?" the officer crossed one leg over the other as he pressed the tip of his pen against his lip, eyeing Mike as he nodded and left the room. "Sam, you're up. Good luck." He sat down, not even glancing at the blonde as he informed her. "Oh please, after tonight, I think I can handle a little police interview." She smirked playfully. Mike just scoffed, already predicting the disbelieving response of the officer as Sam tells him about their night.

After pointless, futile questions and answers were thrown around, Sam found her eyes slowly lifting at the mention of the name she had tried so hard to submerge into the back of her mind. "Now Sam, could you describe your relationship with Josh?"  
"I thought we were close… After his sisters disappeared, he'd come and talk to me, he said I was the only one who understood him. I thought… I thought we had a connection." She felt herself growing increasingly upset just talking about her close bond with Josh, and the interviewers were certainly succeeding in dampening her mood. "If you need someone to talk to-"  
"I'm fine…"  
"Sometimes, after a traumatic experience-"  
"I said I'm fine!"  
A quietness fell as the interviewer took notes, as he opened his mouth to speak again, Sam cut him off. "You need to listen to me; I don't care if you believe me or not, doesn't matter, because you will. You need to go down to the mines."  
"What's in the mines, Sam?" A small, surprising smirk plastered across the blonde's face.  
"I've seen what's down there, and I'd give anything to unsee it."


	3. Inhumane

**_Department of Police_** ** _\- Blackwood County, Alberta, Canada  
02.02.2015  
2228-0652  
Blackwood Mountain_**

 _ **Washington Estate Status- Condemned**_  
 _ **Blackwood Sanatorium Status- Unknown**_  
 _ **Blackwood Mining System Status- Unknown**_

 ** _Offence(s) –  
_** ** _Arson- offender unidentified  
Attempted Murder- Michael_**

 ** _Subject 01- Ashley, 18 Status- Alive  
Subject 02- Christopher, 19 Status- Alive  
Subject 03- Emily, 19 Status- Alive  
Subject 04- Jessica, 18 Status- Alive  
Subject 05- Joshua, 20 Status- Unknown  
Subject 06- Matthew, 18 Status- Alive  
Subject 07- Michael, 19 Status- Alive  
Subject 08- Samantha, 19 Status- Alive  
Subject 09- Unknown, Unknown Status- Unknown_**

 ** _Survivor Count- 7_**

 **Chapter 03- Inhumane**

"The old man, I, uh… I don't know how to describe him." Chris began, shielding a wince as the pain within the noticeable bruise on his forehead began to unexpectedly increase. "You said you thought he was stalking you, did anyone else in your group think that?"  
"Well yeah…"  
"Is it possible they could have killed him?"  
"What? No! You don't understand. Don't you under-"  
"If he attacked you..?"  
"He saved my life… And I watched him die."

"I heard Jessica, I don't know how or why she was down there, but I know I heard her!"  
"I was carried… and taken…"  
"I-I stabbed him…"  
"Th-there was a madman!"  
"Where is he? Did he make it?!"  
"For fucks sake, that's we were on that damn, fucking tower!"  
"How was I supposed he had all those saws and the gun and oh my God..!"  
"The Wendigo, it's the only thing that makes sense!"  
"I keep trying to tell you, there's something in the mines!"  
"The Wendigo, it has to be…"  
"The mines… there's something in the mines…"

As the last of the interviews were finished, Ashley, Chris, Jess and Matt returned to the safety and security of their waiting room in the contrastingly daunting police station. They were moments away from their reunion with the others group. Mike, Emily and Sam had been concealed in another chamber-like area, unaware that they were abut to yet again be pried and urged to spill more information of the terrors they had experienced. Protective glass was the only window to the rest of the world around them, yet even that merely revealed a set of three metal chairs, each with a microphone attached to the flimsy-looking table in front of them. The heavy, clanking sound of the steel door slowly opening, scraping along the cold, stone floor, alerted the three. Their heads turned in unison as one by one, the rest of the teens were brushed into the room by a formally dressed, hurrying woman. First, Ashley feebly walked inside; arms held solidly up to her chest as she lifted her head and surveyed her discomforting surrounding. Next to enter was Matt. He looked less fragile than Ashley yet still showed sharp wounds. Emily cupped her mouth before quickly embracing him, taking him by slight surprise. The jock was followed by Chris, who gave a gentle nod to Mike and Sam before heading in Ashley's direction. Lastly, was Jessica, who weakly stumbled her way to the other six. Her head bobbed gently with every step and her gaze stayed locked onto the concrete floor. "J-Jess… Jess?!" Mike rose in shock, he was absolutely certain she had not withstood the dealings of last night and was unable to survive until dawn. "We ask that there is no conversing within the isolation chamber before we begin our questioning." In unison, the group snapped their heads in the direction of the glass window to see the chairs now bore three extremely professional-looking men. "Isolation chamber…?" Sam quietly whispered to herself as she dropped her head in thought. "Shit…" was also she could utter.

"Please all take a seat on the stools behind you." one of the men instructed, he voice bouncing off the trapping walls as it beamed out of the speaker which seemed to be the only piece of technology this room had seen in… well, ever! All seven did as they were instructed and was the spine-tingling scratches of stool against floor had died down, the questioning began. "We are going to ask you about the events of last night. We ask that you answer honestly and give detailed responses. Is that understood?" a blond man spoke as he pressed his glasses further up his rather pointy nose. A few nods told the questioners that they were ready to proceed with this session. "Firstly, what were your intentions as you arrived at Blackwood Mountain yesterday?"  
Mike spoke up as his fellow friends remained silent. "We were meeting up, to remember Hannah and Beth. It was exactly a year since they disappeared and Jo-… Their brother wanted us all to be together." The interviewer seemed not to react to the answer but instead followed through with the next question. "We understand that Joshua was with you, what happened with him? We've deduced that there was some form of breakdown and he tried to harm you?"  
"He needed help. Okay, it… It wasn't his fault…" Chris cleared his throat and explained, surprisingly sympathetic considering he was placed in not one, but two cunningly formed (yet non-harming) death traps. "Can you please explain what it was he did, exactly?"  
"Well, he… He set up a saw trap, with him and Ash. He asked me to choose who I wanted to save. But it wasn't really him, it was a setup. Yeah, and… he was, it didn't… It wasn't… Fuck, I don't know…" Chris' voice slowly calmed to a silence as his words could no longer string themselves out.  
"He is a psycho." Ashley strictly exclaimed through gritted teeth causing not only the questioners to look up, shocked, but also a few of the teens too. "He made Chris choose between me and him. And, then he… He gave Chris the gun, and there was another saw… Chris had to shoot but he didn't, he didn't do it! Sam and Mike, found us, they were… Then Josh told us he was the maniac. And he hit me, I… I stabbed him… But I didn't know it was him, you know I didn't know. It wasn't my fault!" Ashley informed in a very unclear way, the interviewers had caught on to the overall gist however.  
"You and Chris were involved in this trap?"  
"Yeah… Yeah, we… We were." She collected herself and answered in a stiller manner.  
"I see, now… We understand that the lodge was set alight. Who was responsible for this?"  
Nobody spoke. Nobody wanted to throw Sam under the bus. The questioner attempted to encourage the group. "You can te-"  
"It was me." Sam exhaled. "I did it, to save us all."  
"Did you do it to catch the attention of those in the helicopter?"  
"No, no… those… things were in there. I had to…"  
"Things?"  
"The Wendigoes." Sam bit her lip anxiously, eyes trailing to her feet. She knew she would sound absolutely outrageous to the interviewers.  
"Um, okay… Uh, moving on. Emily and Matt, you two had climbed a fire tower. You made contact with the ranger service, called for help, then the tower fell and you found yourselves in the mines?"  
"Yeah…" Emily sighed.  
"What happened in the mines? Matt?"  
"I tried to help Emily up, I really did, but it fell. I lost Emily and I don't know… I was attacked! I had a flare gun, from the fire tower, and I managed to get away but… fuck!"  
"Josh attacked you?"  
"No, this was not Josh. There is something fucked up going on down there!" Emily stepped in for Matt. "Like I said, there's a creature… A Wendigo! It had Beth's head, I saw Beth's head!"  
"A Wendigo? Was this linked to Josh's attack?"  
"Don't you understand? This wasn't Josh, man. There are creatures down there. They're in the mines, the sanatorium…" Mike argued.  
"You were in the sanatorium?"  
"Yeah, there was some crazy shit in there. So many things. The Wendigoes, they came from in there. That's where it started!"  
"Listen, we understand, you are all very traumatised after your night, everything is a blur. But you're all mature, you know Wendigoes don't exist, don't you?"  
"This is bullshit." Sam declared. "Doesn't this mean anything to you?! Look at Jess, look at her. Does that look normal to you? Does that look like a prank or trick or death trap to you? She is broken, physically and mentally. How do you explain that?"  
"Jessica, did Josh do this to you?" The interviewer leaned forward and patronisingly inquired.  
"No… It… It was a thing. It took me… Through the forest and I was thrown… Into the mines. I found Matt and then, oh God… It tried to get us… There was something down there. It… It wasn't Josh… It wasn't even human, fuck…" Jessica tried, with all her might, to fight convincingly; but her fragility was not helping her at all.  
"Maybe we should do this another time. Subjects, you're all free to go for now. Once things begin to clear up, you forget this Wendigo nonsense, and remember what really happened… Get back in touch with us."

"Fuck, this is ridiculous. What do we do?" Emily groaned exasperatedly as soon as they were out of the chamber. "They don't believe a thing." Mike threw his arms in the air, chewing his bottom lip, discouraged and frustrated. "I don't know, guys… We can't expect them to believe us. I mean, a Wendigo? We sound like idiots…" Ashley sighed heavily, shaking her head. Before they could discuss any further, they were interrupted. "Samantha, Matthew, Ashley and Christopher… You're families are outside. You can now leave. Michael, Jessica and Emily; you're being admitted to the nearest hospital." An unfamiliar female announced before strutting back to her nearby desk. Jess groaned lightly as she slowly lay her head on Mike's shoulder. "Mike… I don't wanna go to hospital…" she whispered. Mike rubbed her shoulder gently, pressing his head against hers in an attempt to console her. "Mike, I'm gonna go. Good luck at the hospital, I'll catch you later." Sam tried to smile as she waved her goodbye. The rest said their farewells before leaving to be greeted by their families.

There was an awkward tension in the air. Mike, Emily and Jessica; the golden trio. Emily snobbishly scoffed and turned her head as she folded her arms, not daring to look at the cuddling Mike and Jess. The blonde, however, sat up slowly. "Emily…" she weakly called. "I just wanted to say… I'm sorry; I was such a bitch… I didn't know any of this was gonna happen, I didn't mean to be so horrible…" she prolonged a blink as she tried to suppress her growing pain.  
"You know what, Jess… You're really something. You literally have to be beaten black and blue before you even consider apologizing? Fuck you. You stay right there, cuddling up to your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend like a broken little bitch, but watch out! He might pull a gun on you too. Isn't that right, Michael?" Emily grimaced as she stood, scolding the two. Before she could allow a response or retort, she gave a cavalier wave and stormed into the toilets, ensuring the door gave a more than audible noise as she slammed it shut behind her. Jess felt a single tear slip over the edge of her eyelid; it slowly dribbled down her cheek as she pushed herself closer to Mike.


End file.
